Amazing New Mars Photos by Curiosity Rover (Mission Week 4)

Focusing Curiosity Rover's 34-Millimeter Mastcam

This image is from a series of test images to calibrate the 34-millimeter Mast Camera on NASA's Curiosity rover. It was taken on Aug. 23, 2012 and looks south-southwest from the rover's landing site. The image has been color enhanced to look as it would appear on Earth.

Focusing Curiosity Rover's 100-Millimeter Mastcam (Adjusted Color)

This image is from a test series used to chacterize the 100-millimeter Mast Camera on NASA's Curiosity rover. It was taken on Aug. 23, 2012, and looks south-southwest from the rover's landing site. The color has been adjusted to appear as the scene would on Earth.

Focusing Curiosity Rover's 100-Millimeter Mastcam (Annotated)

This image is from a test series used to chacterize the 100-millimeter Mast Camera on NASA's Curiosity rover. It was taken on Aug. 23, 2012, and looks south-southwest from the rover's landing site. This annotated version of the image indicates the distances to different features.

Mount Sharp at Gale Crater, Mars

NASA's Mars Science Lab looks around Gale Crater: This color panorama, which includes the highest part of Mount Sharp visible to the rover, was shot by Curiosity's Mast Camera on Aug. 8 and 18, 2012.

Curiosity Tracks Its Tracks

This image shows a close-up of track marks left by NASA's Curiosity rover. Holes in the rover's wheels, seen here in this view, leave imprints in the tracks that can be used to help the rover drive more accurately. The image was released Aug. 29, 2012.

Reading the Rover's Tracks

The straight lines in Curiosity's zigzag track marks are Morse code for JPL, which is short for NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., where the rover was built and the mission is managed. The image was released Aug., 29, 2012.

Curiosity Leaves Its Mark

This image shows a close-up of track marks from the first test drive of NASA's Curiosity rover. The rover's arm is visible in the foreground. A close inspection of the tracks reveals a unique, repeating pattern: Morse code for JPL. This image was released Aug. 29, 2012.

From Infinity and Beyond

The two donut-shaped tracks make an infinity symbol, and mark the first two drives of NASA's Curiosity rover. The landing site is at the far right. Tracks from the first drive on Aug. 22, 2012 lead away from the landing site and include the donut at right. The second donut was made during the rover's second drive on Aug. 27., 2012

Big Wheels Keep on Rollin'

This image taken by a front Hazard-Avoidance camera on NASA's Curiosity shows track marks from the rover's first Martian drives. The rover's Bradbury Landing site and its first tire marks are seen at center, in the distance, while tracks from the second drive are in the foreground. The image was released on Aug., 27, 2012.

Evidence of Curiosity's Second Drive

This image taken by NASA's Curiosity rover shows track marks from a successful drive to the scour mark known as Goulburn, an area of bedrock exposed by thrusters on the rover's descent stage. The image was added Aug. 27, 2012.